For the second straight year, Span spent the days leading up to the deadline on edge, uncertain when or if he would need to break out the moving boxes. Shortly after the deadline passed, Span stood in the clubhouse with a slight smile, happy to be staying put but still recovering from the past several days.

"It's a relief, but ... the adrenaline is still going. I'm still on edge now," Span said. "It's probably going to take until tomorrow for it to finally wear off. That's how it was last year, just sitting and waiting and sitting and waiting. I've been able to breathe a little easier than I was 40 minutes ago."

Span entered Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox batting .290/.356/.396 with 27 doubles and 11 stolen bases, which puts him on pace for his best season since 2009. Span is also signed to a team-friendly contract that pays him $3 million this year, $4.75 million in 2013 and $6.5 million in 2014 with a $9 million team option in 2015.

Span said after Monday night's game that he wanted to go out and have fun if, indeed, that was his final time sprinting around Target Field in a Twins uniform. Span followed through on his internal promise, making two spectacular catches and tallying two hits.

"This is where I want to be," Span said Tuesday. "This is where I've been for 10 years. This is God's will. This is where I'm supposed to be right now. Until that changes, we'll talk about it then. ...

"I still felt that if it happens, it happens, but did I want to leave? No. Did I want to pack up my things in less than 24 hours and go somewhere else? No I did not want to do that. This is where I've been. This is all I know ... I'm comfortable with my teammates here and I love the city, love the fans. They've treated me good here."

Span said the uncertainty of his status in recent weeks was tough to handle at times.

"You start hearing crazy stuff from reporters," he said. "I don't want to say making stuff up, but miscommunication. That makes it worse. Social media doesn't help. It's the combination of a lot of different things that gets your nerves and adrenaline going. ...

"My brother texted me. I was in bible study. He texted me. This is after the MLB Network came out (and mis-reported) that I rejected a trade. He texted me to ask me how I was doing. I said 'I'm fine.' Then he goes 'Was it an easy decision?' I was like 'What are you talking about?' 'They said you just rejected a trade. What happened? I was like 'That's not true.' I had to explain to him that it wasn't true and all that. It was just a whirlwind."